Derwent Water looking south towards Borrowdale

Derwent Water looking south towards Borrowdale Originally uploaded by Mr Clive.

Found this on Flickr today - Fantastic

Christmas Festival Racing at Leopardstown

Senan and Martin went racing at Leopardstown with Greg, Jack and Christopher. We didn't make a profit, but we managed to collect from the bookies a couple of times. Overall a very pleasant way to burn off some Christmas Turkey!

Happy Christmas 2005

We had a lovely relaxing day - ate too much and drank a little.

New Gift Grub Song

Today FM's Gift Grub team have a new Roy Keane song. To the tune of "I have walked 500 hundred miles" by The Proclaimers. They have promised to play it again to-morrow morning at 7.20. I plan to record it and load it on this blog to-morrow. Come back to-morrow for a laugh

FINALLY HERE IS THE LINK Listen and have a laugh

Katy is Eighteen

Today is Katy's Birthday. She is eighteen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATY - I know you had a lovely day.

Katy is in the middle of her Christamas exams, so we will have a proper celebration on Wednesday - 2 birthdays in one year - hey how does that work!

Keano Signs for Celtic

"I'm not coming here for an ego trip or to unwind" Celtic midfielder Roy Keane

Recommended Reading - The Bookseller of Kabul

While I recommend this book, I must say, that it took me a while to finish it. It is a very good insight into post Taliban Afganistan, but the unusual approach of the author made it feel inconclusive. Although it reads like fiction, it is based on real people. Seierstad uses a fly on the wall, journlistic approach. When I think about it, the "unsatisfactory" feeling I had while reading the book came from the way that real life has a habit of not having neat conclusions! In the epilogue we do get some story endings. In the final 3 pages we are given a brief update on a number of the incidents. This is quite effective in bringing some sort of closure. It is well written and the insights are subtle and complete. There is a very real sense of place and culture that is completely alien to us in the Western world, even after the Taliban. Seierstad is a Norwegian journaist and has written a book on life in Serbia and another on life in Baghdad. The bookseller has made me curious enough to try "With Their Backs to the World" - the Serbian book.

Panoramic Clue

Here's a Clue to the location of the Panoramic

JCB Song by Nizlopi

Watch the Video Here X

Panoramic Quiz

Can you correctly identify this view. Post a comment with suggestions

Küssnachter Klausjagen

Shephard & sheep whip Originally uploaded by M+MD.

Tonight in Kussnacht am Rigi - near Luzern, Switzerland, the Klausjagen (chasing of St Nikolaus) takes place. The town will be in complete darkness. The locals dress in the traditional shephards smock. They will crack bullwhips in the dark: CRACK CRACK like gun fire.

Bishop Mitres Originally uploaded by M+MD.

Then come the Bishops Mitres. These are enormous structures carried on the head with designs cut out and covered with coloured paper. Inside are candles, so the whole effect is like walking stained glass giant bishops’ mitres. There are well over 100 of these dancing and spinning down the streets.

The dancing mitres are followed by St Nikalaus, with his assistants (Schmutzils) dressed in black. Next comes 180 trumpeters who play the haunting "Klausenmelodie".

All in pitch darkness. Then come the 900 cowbell ringers. Each carry the enormous cowbells that they swing in time and produce an ominous monotonous rhythm.Bringing up the rear are the cow horn blowers. They blast in unison SHORT SHORT LOOOONG...SHORT SHORT LOOOONG Then the party starts - the beer drinking is interrupted from time to time by trains of bell-ringing shephards. It goes on to the early hours, most un-swiss like!

I've been there twice - the video on this page gives some sense of what its like - but you really have to be there to feel the whole tingling, medieval Christmas sensation.

Gonzaga says YES!

Yesterday was a good day. We got an offer letter from Gonzaga for Senan. So all the preparation and all the worry and all the help from everyone we pestered has paid off.

You all know who you are - THANK YOU!

Although it feels like we've won the lotto, of course, it's really the opposite. We now have earned the privilege to pay for our son's schooling for the next 6 years.

We're sure that he's worth it!

Roy's Leaving Man U - Today FM's Gift Grub Team

Farewell, Keano
Uploaded by
yellowhandman.

Keano has left United by mutual consent, and with immediate effect.

Listen to Today FM's great song about Keano's Departure from Old Trafford. WORDS by Mario Rosenstock to the tune of Will Young's

"I Think I Better Leave Right Now".
I'm gone, when did I arrive?
Coz all they've left me with is my bloody P45.
No more midfield general, no holding role.
But at least I'll be the richest bloke down the dole
And for me who will they replace?
A lad with a bit of pace,
but will he ever make the face.

So I say ...
I think I better leave right now
before we fall any deeper
I think I better leave right now
our players are getting cheaper and cheaper
somebody gotta tell me how
that Alan Smith's a midfielder
I think I better leave right now

They said don't worry, sure we'll be grand
Sure we've got Wes Brown and Rio Ferdinand.
I told the gaffer you're havin' a laugh
If you think that tool is a decent centre half.
Coz he's just no bloody use,
Always has an excuse,
I never heard that from Steve Bruce

So I say...
I think I better leave right now
leave all the prawns and the blazers
I think I better leave right now
before it dawns on the Glazers
Can't you just see it now
Here come the knives and the razors.
I think I better leave right now

All credit to the time, its flown.
Remember how I beat Juventus on my own.
"The greatest midfielder of his era"
Are you listening Patrick Viera?
But I'll still keep going you'll see
Even with my dodgy knee
How the mighty have fallen, it's pathetic;
I might end up in Wigan Athletic

I think I better leave right now
leave all the prawns and the blazers
I think I better leave right now
before it dawns on the Glazers
Can't you just see it now
Here come the knives and the razors.
I think I better leave right now.

Ireland 43 - Romania 12

PB250206
Uploaded by M+MD.

As predicted, a win. The margin was even better than I said last night. It was a pretty good performance, with 6 Irish tries. I had €5 to €50, that Geordan Murphy would score the first try. He made a great break about 15 minutes in, but passed it to Trimble, who ran over for his first International try. Close, but no cigar. Trimble scored another try in the second half.

Paul bet on Johnny O'Connor to score the first try - better odds, but also wrong. Both Murphy and O'Connor did score but no money for the lads.

Senan and Simon enjoyed the game but Conor was otherwise engaged. The golden rule of ticket allocations is "use it or lose it". I hope he doesn't learn that the hard way!!!

We're going to win today

Irish Fans
Uploaded by M+MD.

Shane Simon and Senan anticipating a win before the third autumn international Vs Romania at Lansdowne Road.

Third Time Lucky?

To-morrow its Ireland Vs Romania at Lansdowne Road. After losing twice this month to southern hemisphere teams, maybe we can make it third time lucky. I'm predicting an Irish win by a margin of 35 to 13. We will need a better performance than last week to achieve that result. The forwards need to get their act together, especially in the line out.

80th Birthday Today

Fr Martin

Uploaded by M+MD.

Today, the 21st of November is Fr Martin's 80th birthday. If his brother Brian were alive it would be his 74th birthday.

Yesterday we had a small get together with his sisters Sheila and Mary. It was a lovely bright November day. We met in Dalgan, where Martin is living and we went to a very nice restauraunt in the nearby village of Kilmessan.

It was great to get together and celebrate a life and talk about some old times and some not so old times.

Ireland V Australia Today

PB180208
Uploaded by M+MD.

Two very average teams slogged it out on a bright November day in Lansdowne Road. Lots of mistakes by both sides but in the end Australia broke their seven game run of defeats by beating Ireland 30 points to 14.

John Spillane's "Sailing"

Click PLAY ANIMATION
We're going sailing, out on the silver sea
The air is full of treasure, you and me
All along the shore you can hear the mermaids singing
"No-one will believe us, no-one will believe us"
And below on the strand the sea is answering the land
"No-one will believe us"

We're going sailing, for three nights and three days
There are one hundred islands in Roaring Water Bay
There on the hill the good people are living still
"No-one will believe us, no-one will believe us"
And we'll wake in the dawn, in the shadow of the thorn
"No-one will believe us"

How high is the mountain, how deep is the sea?
How wide is the ocean between you and me?
Underneath the waves dolphins play the same games
"No one will believe us, no-one will believe us"
And we'll wake in the dawn, in the shadow of the thorn
"No-one will believe us"

Where did we get the money, how did we live so long?
To be out on the ocean, to be singing this song?
All along the shore you can hear the mermaids singing
"No-one will believe us, no-one will believe us"
And below on the strand the sea is answering the land
"No-one will believe us"

We're going sailing, out on the silver sea
The air is full of treasure, you and me.

Wastwater, Lake District, Cumbria

Lakes08 Originally uploaded by M+MD.

This is Katy and Senan mucking about with Great Gable (just over Katy's head) in the background. Taken on holiday in Summer 2002.

Online Conversation with Christy Moore

Click on Christy's Guest Book. and scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the original conversation.

Ireland V All Blacks Today

PB110203 Originally uploaded by M+MD.

After an exhibition of Rugby from the All Blacks, Conor finally had something to cheer about when Ireland finally scored in the last minute of extra time. Final Score 45 - 7.

Fashion Statements Winter 2006

DSCF0101
Originally uploaded by M+MD.

This is what they are wearing on the south of France beaches this winter.

Christy Moore at the Musikhalle Hamburg

Concert at the Musikhalle Hamburg
Originally uploaded by Brigit.

Great picture posted by a fan on Flickr.com. Christy and Declan playing in Hamburg at the end of October this year.

You can also read about this concert on Christy's Web page: christymoore.com

The School Saga continued...

The Gonzaga interview went very well this morning. While its now just a numbers game, we are in with a good chance. We must wait until the end of the month to hear the outcome. We've given it our best shot, the rest is up to the Jesuits!

Recommended Listening - Christy Moore

I picked up 2 Christy Moore albums recently. Burning Times is his latest offering. It is very good. Declan Sinnott is sharing the bill. He sings a mixture of songs by Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Joni Mitchell, Richard Thompson as well as some new songs from one of his regular song writers, Wally Page. It is a very polished set of songs from Christy, and is worth putting on the Christmas list.

The second album I picked up is the 6 disc box set which he issued last year. This is a collection of out-takes, recordings at concerts, a few monologues. Some of the old recordings are poor quality, in one or two from the sixties you can hardly recognise the voice, as Christy's. But the overall result is a very powerful, personal and intimate set of recordings, very raw, but very Christy. There are some great song introductions, some of the live recordings really capture the atmosphere at a Chrisy Moore gig. Of course, you have the usual examples of Christy's extreme politics, but it's clearly from the heart even if it's hard to take. Great for a long car journey.

Maybe you have to be from Newbridge to really appreciate Christy - though Newbridge people represent such a small part of his fan base that this can't be true!

Listening to some of the introductions and monologues on the box set, I know that most of his fans can't know the local places and characters he mentions. He talks about a gig in San Francisco where a couple of "Newbridge heads" couldn't get tickets. They broken down the stage door to get into the gig and had to be ejected by the "crowd control engineers". Now I don't know who they were - I hadn't heard the story before, - but I know at least 2 people from Newbridge, living in San Francisco, who are probably mad enough to have tried such a stunt. I'm convinced it was Stan or Henner!

I suppose to the non Newbridge fan, the characters and places just give an intimate feel - the difference is that if your from Newbridge you can see the real people and places - the other fans just have to use their imagination.

Strongly recommended.

Friday the 21st, 06:24am

Friday the 21st, 06:24am
Originally uploaded by tkproject2004.

Another great shot from tkproject2004.

White Leather & the Beads

White Leather & the Beads Originally uploaded by tkproject2004.

Some great sky shots from Japan

Good news this morning

We got a letter from Gonzaga calling us for interview. There are 110 boys selected for a total of 50 places - so now our odds have improved to almost 1 in 2. The interview is next Tuesday the 8th at 11.30, where the headmaster will interview all 3 of us together.

Recommended Reading - Douglas Kennedy

I have just finished reading Douglas Kennedy’s new book “State of the Union”. It’s a very good read, a slow steady build up in the first half of the book and then a roller coaster finish – typical of Kennedy.

I also strongly recommend each of the following: “The Job” “The Big Picture” "The Pursuit of Happiness” and "A Special Relationship” Start with “The Job” and “The Big Picture They both go at break-neck speed from start to finish.

I knew Kennedy when he lived in Dublin in the 1980’s – he was a regular book reviewer with The Sunday Tribune.

Is decimalisation just dumbing down

Now that Ireland has moved to kilometers for speed limits, it seems like a good time to remember what we are leaving behind and consider: WHY? Did you know that there were/are 4 perches in a chain, 10 chains in a furlong. (There are no marks for know that there are 8 furlong in a mile.) I remember doing arithmetic with chains and perches in school. It was mysterious when I was 11 - and now its still mysterious. If you are curious, consider this: 63360 inches

A Long Chain...

Originally uploaded by SSH.

See also: 63360 inches

... A Small Perch

See also: 63360 inches

A small perch Originally uploaded by Teemu Harju.

Cool Brother

Greg taken by Kevin

Post Script.

The fire, of course, means that there are fewer applications than normal this year. So the odds have improved from 1 in 7 to to 1 in 5!

The Application Process.

Today we sent in the application forms for Gonzaga. The school is very clear and straightforward about the criteria for entry. http://www.gonzaga.ie/staticpages/index.php/admissions There is an application form with the usual information plus 3 key questions (I paraphrase) 1) why Gonzaga? 2) what have we to offer the college? 3) what Jesuit connections do you have? Based on this application there is a short list. The shortlisted parents and child are interviewed by the headmaster. He looks into his heart and decides who is most suitable. We will hear about the shortlist in early November. We will keep you posted.

Fate or Faith.

Sometimes fate (or faith) takes a hand. We had heard some stories last year about how poor Gonzaga were in contacting applicants. In contrast we had neighbours who had no problem. So just to be pro-active we made a call to the school last week. The school secretary was very helpful. She explained that a number of applications had been lost in a fire about 2 years ago (making sense of the bad stories). She also told us that the meeting for prospective parents for next September was scheduled for that very evening. We were welcome to come to the meeting and of course it was still not too late to re-apply. Fate or Faith - someone was looking after us.

Make your mind up - quick.

Last May we got an opportunity to get into St Mary’s primary school for 6th class. But we had just 5 days to make our mind up. The challenge wasn't just making up our mind - but also persuading our son to given up his school a year before he expected. In the end it was just too rushed and we turned it down deciding to take our chances this year. Another factor in turning down that opportunity is that Gonzaga is our first choice. It is our nearest school – about a 10 minute walk. It was a strong academic focus - it will suit our son. We applied shortly after we moved to Rathmines. But it is hard to get into. In a normal year there are over 400 applications for 80 places – about 30 of these places go to siblings. So the odds of getting in are 1 in 7.

Getting into secondary school.

This is a real issue in Dublin. Our son is in 6th Class and having left him in the same primary school after we moved house 5 years ago we would now like to get him somewhere local so that his new friends will be nearby. The local schools are

• Gonzaga College S.J., Ranelagh. http://www.gonzaga.ie/
• St Mary’s College, C.S.Sp. Rathmines. http://www.stmarys.ie/
• St Kilians Deutsche Schule, Roebuck. http://www.kilians.com/.

St Mary's and Gonzaga are difficult to get into, Kilians will be easier because his sisters went there. All schools give preference to siblings - makes sense. However as he was only 3 when we left Germany, St Kilians is not the obvious choice that it was for his older sisters who had 3 years of German schooling.